Shimla: To overcome Shimla's chronic problem of traffic congestion, the Himachal Pradesh government has decided to go for a multi-million ropeway project, an official said on Tuesday. A Rs 250-crore aerial ropeway project connecting Shimla's inter-state bus terminus at Tutikandi with the Mall road, the famous strolling street, will be built under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, a government spokesperson said.

He said that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh gave approval to the project at a meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Infrastructure Development Board on Monday. The spokesperson said that the ropeway would help reduce traffic congestion in the town.

He said that the 3 km ropeway would carry around 1,500-2,000 people per hour each way and the one-side travel time would be around 10 minutes. Officials said that the Chief Minister also gave the nod to link Aadi Himani Chamunda temple in the Dhauladhar mountain range in Kangra district with a ropeway.

The Aadi Himani Chamunda 6 km long ropeway, with a carrying capacity of 1,000-1,200 people per hour each way would be constructed at a cost of Rs 200 crore, an official said.